Comparative study of the quality of water produced by a solar distiller and by reverse osmosis

Abstract

Freshwater is a vital resource for human well-being, accounting for about 2.5% of the water on our planet. However, the growing demand for freshwater puts its quality at risk. For meeting the water needs, desalination is a crucial solution, but it needs to be ensured that the water quality meets the international standards. In this article, we will compare the physical and chemical characteristics of water produced by solar distillation and reverse osmosis, using the same source water. We started with saline water with a pH ranging from 7.70 to 7.80, conductivity ranging from 49.5 to 51 ms/cm, and bicarbonate ion concentration ranging from 125 to 145 mg/l. We used a solar distiller and reverse osmosis to obtain distilled water with a pH of 7 to 7.20, conductivity of 0.2 to 1.6 ms/cm, and bicarbonate ion concentration of 14 to 28.5 mg/l. The results we obtained were found to comply with international drinking water standards.